Islam and democracy: Beyond its compatibility

Abstract

This article challenges the binary framework that dominates much of the academic and political debate regarding the relationship between Islam and democracy. Through a critical review of the Eurocentric, Orientalist, and colonialist approaches that have structured the social sciences—particularly political science—the text argues that questioning the “compatibility” between the two stems from problematic epistemological assumptions. Furthermore, it contends that this inquiry relies on a false dichotomy between religion and politics rooted in the European historical experience, which is not necessarily universal.